High-end German optics company Zeiss is back in the photo game. On Tuesday, February 25, Zeiss unveiled the new Otus ML lens family, a move that brings the company’s earlier f/1.4 primes to mirrorless mounts. The new Zeiss Otus ML 1.4/50 and Zeiss Otus ML 1.4/85 lenses are slated for a 2025 arrival in Sony E, Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts. While the new lenses continue the manual focus and wide f/1.4 features of the original Otus line, there’s another key change besides the new mounts: a lower price point.
The Zeiss Otus ML 1.4/50 is what the company is calling “a versatile all-rounder” while the 85mm is targeted towards portrait photography. But while the features like the all metal design fall under what many predicted from the companies earlier teasers, the ML series is posed to sit at a significantly lower price point than Zeiss’ older DSLR Otus optics. The 50mm carries a list price of $2,499 / £2,100 with the 85mm at $2,799 / £2,350. That price is higher than many first-party primes with autofocus, but it’s a significant cut from the brand’s DSLR lenses, like the Otus F-Mount 85mm which is still available for $4,490 / £3,800.
